When you become a vegan of are thinking of doing so, you will be bombarded with questions such as, " where do you get your protein" or "How do you eat a well rounded diet", What do you eat"? The answer is simple " I get my protein and nutrients from my food just like you do".
The following are some guidelines and tips in constructing a thoughtful well rounded vegan eating plan.
Start by dividing your daily food into four major groups.
PROTEINS
FATS
CARBOHYDRATES
FRUITS AND VEGGIES
VEGAN PROTEINS
The average American consumes way more protein than is needed. The average person only needs 40-50 grams of protein per day. With a four part well rounded vegan diet that is totally realistic with almost no effort, Protein deficiency is not an issue in the U.S.
Black beans and other legumes - 100 grams of black beans yields around 21 grams of protein, You will also get fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate and other nutrients when you eat legumes.
Pea isolate protein powders - If you are into smoothies or soups dump a serving of pea protein powder to get around 25 grams of protein.
Oats - will provide you with 17 grams per a 100 gram serving, plus very tasty.
Quinoa - A great ancient grain providing you with about five grams per serving...tasty too.
Guava - is a protein fruit with about 3 grams per serving.
Pistachio nuts - will provide 20 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. The perfect salad topper of snack.
Other miscellaneous vegan sources include, tempeh, non dairy yogurt and kefer. You might notice tofu is not on the list here. I will address that at a future post. We are not so high on tofu.
VEGAN FATS
Fats are good brain food as well as helping in the construction of hormones. It is an essential part of the diet.
Avocados - A half of an avocado will provide you with about 10 grams of monounsaturated fat. That is a good fat the helps keep bad cholesteral down.
Nuts - They are very high in fat so best to eat less than a quarter of a cup per day which will provide about 17 grams of fat per day. If you are trying to gain weight eat more.
Seeds - My two favorite seeds are sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, both are quite low in fats but are nutritional powerhouses. I like to make them into seed butters and eat a tablespoon of each per day. Sunflower seeds are good as well but are extremely high in fat so limit them. Chia, flax and hemp seeds are great salad toppers as well.
Oils - Be careful with oils such as olive, avocado, sunflower etc. It is a very highly processed food and should probably not be used to cook with. A little bit sprinkled on a salad with lemon is okay,
CARBS
Carbs are an essential part of our diets but be careful no to overdo them. Also would be best if not overly processed such as white bread.
Grains - In general grains should be somewhat limited. Mostly ancient grains such as teff are the beat. Other grains that we find acceptable for many reasons are, quinoa, barley, amaranth. and millet.
Sweet potatoes and yams -No fat, no cholesterol, minimal sugar (6g), loaded with nutrients.
Sprouted grain tortillas - are a good substitute for bread.
VEGGIES AND FRUITS
Leafy greens - should be a staple almost everyday. Highest in nutritional values per calorie of all foods.
Cruciferous veggies
Root veggies
Veggies that grow on vines or stalks
All fruits in limited quantity.
I think you get the idea if it is a veggie...eat it...mix up the colors...make a rainbow salad daily...each color represents a different set of nutrients so it will round out your personal nutrient profile.
MISC. ADDITIONS
Make sure you add a few probiotic foods to your daily plan such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, or other veggie ferments such as kimchee. It will help you balance out you gut biome
We also suggest you have a daily serving of various sprouts as part of your plan. Put them in your salad or wraps..
So you see being vegan gives you an amazing array of highly nutritious and tasty foods. Won't be long before your friends and family want to eat like you.
May peace be with you.
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